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So you want to read the Bible all the way through and you begin with chapter one. Easy enough. But then you get to chapter 5 and you are ready to skip over it. Why not? A bunch of names of people that are difficult to pronounce makes ones eyes glaze over but yet, there are some things we can learn.

Man was created in God’s image.

At the top of the chapter: Verse 1 repeats that man was made in the image of God. This is a repeat but when the Bible repeats something, it must be important. This genealogy follows the generations of the people who began to call on the Lord. See chapter 4:26. But it also reminds us that our beginning start point is “God’s image.” It is only later that we begin to corrupt that image with our own desires and stubbornness. Returning to God and living according to that image is the thing we continue to try to do. God made the way through Jesus to get us back to the type of person we should be. Through Christ we can be partakers of His divine nature. (2 Peter 1:4)

We are going to die.

One thing that should stand out loud and clear is that over and over again, the phrase “and he died” is repeated. (And repetition is important.) Even for those who lived a very long time. 200, 300, 800 years made no difference, they all died. Even today we do so much to take care of ourselves. We exercise, eat good food, take medicine, drink protein shakes, eat probiotics, and whole host of activities that many believe will lengthen and improve our days on the earth. Actually, all of those things probably WOULD have beneficial results. However, the thing we must remember is this….We are all going to die!!!! Even if medical science can slow aging and extend life to 150 years with lots of energy and vitality….it is still going to end. It will be said of you, someday (unless the Lord returns first) “and he died.”

Knowing that we are going to die, the best thing we can do is be reconciled to God. Nothing else that we accomplish in this world will have as big an impact on us as this.

2Co 5:20 ESV Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

One man didn’t die.

Enoch was the only one in that list who did not die. The scripture says:

Gen 5:23-24 ESV Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. (24) Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.

Exactly what happened in this “taking” we don’t know. Many think of it as similar to Elijah. But what is important seems to be the phrase “Enoch walked with God….”

Why Enoch and not others? Hebrews tells us this:

Heb 11:5 ESV By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God.

Enoch had great faith as he walked with God. He pleased God. If we will walk with God we can please Him too. While we certainly are not perfect, we can still follow the steps of Jesus and do our best to serve him.

Are you like those in this genealogy? Are you one of those who call on the name of the Lord? We know we will all die unless the Lord returns first so we should do our best to Walk with God and know that when this life is over, God will take us home.

What do you see in this chapter that we can all learn from? Leave a comment.